Spirits of the World: Dual Reality
by Dingo T. Wilds
Summary: Her curse was locked, she was disowned by her parents, betrayed by her friends. Ranma wandered the streets, merely existing until an opportunity appeared. When she took the job, she took one step closer to her revenge.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 01: The Ronin and the Thieves

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Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or Yu Yu Hakusho.

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A lone red haired girl trudged through the streets as she searched for a meal. She had been stricken from her family register nearly a year ago, and she had wandered across the greater Tokyo area until she had wandered into the Sarayashiki district. She had soon learned that the district had a high concentration of spirits and lower level demons preying on the general populace. The girl may have been homeless and her morals may have shifted from what they once were, but she would still protect the innocents from these monsters. It helped her keep her mind off of her unwanted situation.

This girl was Ranma, formerly of the Saotome clan, and nearly everyone she had met in her life caused her some sort of pain or strife. Her family abandoned her, her friends betrayed her, and she had lost everything. They took everything from her, her name, her home, even her birth form. With only two people from her former life being forgiven for anything they had done to her, Ranma had over a year to plot her revenge.

Ranma slipped through the local market place, quickly making her way through, swiping just enough to eat without arousing the sellers' suspicions about their missing products.

As she made her way through town, memories came forward unbidden.

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In the months following the failed wedding attempt things had gotten very bad around Nerima. After what was called the 'calm before the storm', everyone got more aggressive. The parents tried to force him and Akane into two more wedding attempts, Ukyo, Shampoo, and Kodachi began attacking each other and Akane even more viciously than before. This led to Kodachi and Akane being hospitalized being the weakest of the girls. The Nekohaten and Ucchan's had been nearly destroyed during one of the many attacks on both of the girls that lived at their respective restaurants. The boys, on the other hand, got even worse. Their attacks put innocents in the hospital, and even injured Ranma pretty badly at one point. Then the boys managed to kill him, in a way.

They had Kuno corner him in the schoolyard. The students, who would have once stayed to watch, fled when Kuno came dressed in full Samurai regalia and waving live steel. As he pinned Ranma to the wall, blade at his throat, Ryoga and Mousse appeared with two bottles of labeled water. Mousse grinned maniacally as he poured his bottle of hot water over Ranma's head. That's when the well-known change came over him, turning him into his girl form. Ryoga then tossed his bottle at her, and the somewhat familiar tingle of her curse being locked came over her.

"It took us a long time just to get water we needed," Ryoga had said as he watched Ranma slide down the wall, free of Kuno's blade when the kendoist backed up, "Cologne already had the water from the Chiisuiton from when Herb was bargaining for information. The water from the Nyannichuan, it was harder to get."

"But once we got it, all we needed to do was boil it." Mousse smirked, a mad glint in his eyes.

As Ranma realized what they were saying, Ryoga turned to walk away, "She's all yours Kuno. Have fun with your bride."

Those words haunted her to this day, but what happened next was why she had never before given in to her darker instincts and desires. Kuno ended up paralyzed from mid-spine down, Ryoga managed to get away with only several broken bones and a few deep lacerations, and Mousse lost the use of both eyes when Ranma slashed them with Kuno's broken sword and completely tore his right arm off.

Cologne barely got to the scene in time to stop the red-haired girl from outright murdering the boys, though the Elderly Amazonian gasped when she placed her hand on Ranma's arm. As Ranma tried to vocalize her question, Cologne shook her head. Ranma would never be fully male again. Her best chance would be to jump into Nannichuan and hope that the combined curses resulted in being more male than female.

As Ranma collapsed, the authorities and paramedics pulled up to the scene, though no one noticed a brown haired girl running away from the school. When Ranma looked back, it seemed like Nabiki had decided to cut her off from everything. When Ranma returned to the Dojo after a few hours with the local police, the parents confronted her. She had acted dishonorably in the 'fight', maiming and permanently disfiguring her opponents, she had nearly committed murder and would of if she hadn't been stopped, and the worst offense to the parents, she had become a weak and unmanly girl for the rest of her life.

While Soun, Genma, and Nodoka yelled and made demands of the girl, Nabiki was watching the conflict with a smirk and Akane was watching in growing anger. Kasumi was nowhere to be seen, as she was quietly packing away Ranma's belongings as well as her own. She knew neither of them would remain at the Dojo after tonight.

After Soun and Nodoka had verbally declared 'Ranma Saotome' and 'Ranko Tendo' were to be ronin and never welcomed back to the Dojo or the Saotome home, a crazed grin spread across Ranma's face as her pupils slowly shifted into narrow cat-like slits. As night fell, a blur escaped from the compound, Dojo completely wrecked, a broken blade driven into the shattered sign by the front gate, and several bodies lying around the destroyed dining room. No one dead, but everyone that had remained was injured. Kasumi had left before the fighting had even started.

Ranma had done something that she never truly done in her life. She ran. Ranma ran hard and fast, not stopping or pausing in her haste. She soon came to her bridge, the one spot no one would bother her at. There she cried. She cried for the first time in years, never even noticing that Kasumi had left her pack nearby, unable to bring herself to intrude after her family's actions. She cried so hard that she wore herself out and fell asleep.

As she slept, a small man watched from across the canal, hidden by the shadows. As an eye in the center of his forehead gleamed, he grinned, "Interesting, I'll keep a close eye on her."

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Back in the Present

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Ranma lowered a half-eaten rice ball that she had snatched from a witless boy who had tried to smooth talk her. The local truancy officers had been making real pests of themselves every time they saw her, and she wanted to get back to her 'home' before they found her. Coming to an abandoned office building near an apartment complex, she quickly slipped inside to hide from prying eyes. After all, she knew that she was being watched recently, she just didn't know by what or who.

Two of the beings watching her were the late punk, Yusuke Urameshi, and the Underworld Guide, Botan. They had originally come across the disowned girl when Yusuke had gone to his own wake and watched her pay her respects after accidentally interrupting the procession when she was trying to find somewhere to sleep. He had remembered her after Koenma had described the ordeal he had to go through so he could live again and he thought that she would be the perfect place to start his good deeds. Boy was he wrong.

The two had watched the small redhead demolish a small gang of boys that had been after Kuwabara during his deal with the science teacher Akashi then turn around and swipe their wallets without him ever looking up from his text book. Yusuke thought they deserved it because they had knocked some food out of her hands and trampled it into the ground. Even after watching the girl for a while, he knew her love for food was more than a result from living on the streets, and he had enjoyed the show when she beat on the boys.

Yusuke felt torn, on one hand he pitied her due to the fact she was obviously homeless, but her attitude was dark and rather morbid. The few times he had gotten close enough to hear her threaten someone let him know she was not above maiming idiots that bothered her.

As Yusuke floated in the sky watching the building the red-haired girl had claimed as hers, Botan was flipping through a case file that she had received from one of the other Ferry Girls. Even Yusuke could see the disgust on her face as she read on.

"Oh dear, I believe that Koenma has found her file at last. And it's not good," The blue haired reaper said as she closed the rather thick file.

"Well from what I've seen, she's homeless, probably on the runnin' from her past. Yet she seems to draw in fights and trouble like I did before this ordeal of yours." Yusuke glanced down from the roof towards the building that the girl was in, scratching his head in thought.

"That's partially correct Yusuke. Her name was Ranma Saotome, it's just Ranma now. She had a curse that changed her body depending on the temperature of the water. Hot water gave her a boy's body and cold a girl's. This ability was taken away from her by her so called friends, two are now crippled and the third disappeared without a trace. It also looks like she was banished from her family because she attacked the boys responsible, among other reasons." Botan sniffed in disgust, not liking what she had read.

"Jeez, being a girl that turns into a boy must have been rough. She was probably treated like a freak by any other girls."

"Wrong Yusuke, Ranma was originally a boy before the curse, and is now stuck as a girl for the rest of her life."

"That's even worse! I can't even to begin to imagine what it's like to have your …stuff ripped away at the splash of so water. How much longer until this egg hatches?" Yusuke asked, pulling the egg in question out of his pocket.

"Anxious aren't we?" Botan seemed puzzled at her charge's change in attitude after hearing about the homeless martial artist staying in the abandoned building below them.

"Because no one deserves what happened to her. I want to try and talk her into coming over, though I might need Keiko to help convince my mom. Then again, mom will probably try to help too much and adopt her…" Yusuke started rambling to himself as Koenma appeared next to Botan.

"Koenma sir, do you know why Yusuke suddenly became interested in Ranma after he found out about her past?" Botan looked at the child ruler for answers.

"His mother came from a similar situation, used by her so called friends, leading to a loss of family honor and banishment that Yusuke was only found out about it six months before his accident. When he found out, he found his grandparent's house and gave them a visit. Imagine their surprise as the son of their disowned daughter kicks down their front door and attacked his grandfather. When asked why he attacking them, all he said was that they were too wrapped up in the past. Midway through his tirade, Atsuko came through the front door and told him to go home. Realizing that the boy who had attacked them was their grandson, and their daughter had to stop him from killing them, they tried to beg forgiveness. Atsuko laughed at them and said that she didn't know who they were and apologized for Yusuke's attack. The two of them committed seppuku a week later to redeem their honor for abandoning their eldest child." Koenma huffed, crossing his arms. The three of them drifted away from the building, continuing their conversation as three more appeared in the roof across from it.

"This is the girl you've been watching Hiei? Her soul doesn't really feel like a human's," The largest of the trio stated as he look through the window at the girl.

"It seems to be a strange case of a failed possession." the third man said, though he was physically only a little younger than the girl they were watching.

"She seems to be similar to you, Kurama." Hiei said, "Test her Kurama, if she's strong enough, I'll offer her a chance to help us get the fourth treasure as well as our own original prizes."

"Wait, there's another treasure?" the large man asked

"Yes Gouki, and her personality that makes her the best one to use it. It's a journal, one that when something is written in it, it becomes an absolute law that cannot be rewritten. She'll be the one to keep the Spirit World in check so we can get away."

"It can also act as a last resort counter to the treasures we will take. You've been planning this for a while."

"Yes I have, for a very long time." Hiei said as he blurred away. Gouki chuckled as he leapt to the ground before walking away as well. Kurama turned to leave when Ranma turned, looking out of the slits of a boarded up window, locking eyes with him. Smiling, he too vanished. She knew he was coming for her. The only thing was she didn't know when he would come after her. The hunt was on, and his prey was just as dangerous as he was.

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Author's Note: Will Hiei's plan work? Has Ranma changed enough for it to work? What darkness does this young and betrayed martial artist harbor within her soul? Find out next chapter!

And for those who are wondering, this is one of my older stories that I have finally got around to reposting, more chapters to come!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Recruitment and the Heist

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Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or Yu Yu Hakusho.

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Ranma was beginning to feel on edge, much like a cornered animal. Nearly two weeks ago the red-haired demon boy had issued a challenge and a threat. He was hunting her, and she, in turn, hunted him. He had allowed her to follow him to his school, where he blended in seamlessly with the human students. One day, at lunch, a smaller demon boy with spiky black hair appeared near him as well. Both had looked directly at her before the small one vanished and the redhead got up and walked away. Ranma turned to leave but noticed a rose, with its stem imbedded in the concrete right next to where her head had been from her vantage point on the ledge of the school building.

But today was different as he had seemingly insulted her in front of his human peers. Nothing specific, but it seemed like he was mocking her with subtle glances and stinging comments, but her pride refused to let her take it lying down. Her pride as a martial artist was one of the very few things she had left.

Ranma decided to confront him as he left the school. She leapt off of the school roof, twisting to land on her feet and a single flat palm in a wide spread tri-point landing in front of her fellow redhead. He seemed calm and ready for a fight, and with a small smile he spoke up, "It seems as if I have a challenger. From the Nerima ward no less."

This revelation sent murmurs through the crowd.

"Shuichi can fight?"

"Of course he can! I bet he does it to stay in shape. But who's the girl?"

"That's Ranma from Nerima! I heard she had disappeared though!"

"Why is she here then?"

Ranma ignored the banter of the crowd, glaring at Kurama, "So fox boy, where are the other two, the giant and the midget?"

"Hiei wanders around and Gouki has some business to take care of today." Kurama replied evenly.

"Why did you challenge me?"

"We have a job that needs to be done, but we need one more to fill the roster. Hiei has been watching you for nearly a year, ever since your final fight in Nerima, as brutal as it was."

Ranma scoffed. At one point in time, the reminder of that fight would have weighed on her conscious. But over the long months she had grown cynical and bitter in regards to the morons in Nerima. Hell, all the morons in the world in general. She could now look back and get some dark satisfaction from the pain she had caused that day. Something had awoken at Ryoga's words all those months ago, and it, through her, craved battle and blood.

"Follow me if you can..." Ranma said in a low hiss, causing the boy's eyes to narrow. Ranma flipped backwards onto the wall before dashing off.

"You won't get away from me!" Kurama shouted taking off after her on street level. It was a good thing it was a half-day for the school. Kurama quickly used a few boxes and a vendor's stand to level himself on the wall. Ranma was running low and fast along the wall, and Kurama had to catch up. Suddenly Ranma's foot slipped and she cried out in surprise.

"Get her Shuichi!" one of the students yell, they were following the running fighters. Kurama wasted no time in leaping after her spinning to connect a kick to her ribs, only for him to catch a menacing grin on her face.

'A trick!' he thought as Ranma blurred away.

"Behind you," she whispered, both of her feet smashing into his back. Kurama flew across the intersection, crashing through the open door of a super market and landing in a pile of fresh fruits.

'I won't be able to use my plants with my classmates watching us,' Kurama thought as he looked at his bag, 'Looks like it was a good idea to buy a backup.'

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"What's wrong Fox-boy?" Ranma jeered, standing on top of a street light, ignoring the shouts of anger from the students below her, "You picked this fight, now come out here and finish it!"

With a crack, Ranma's cheek was sliced open.

"Tch, a weapon user." Ranma snarled as Kurama landed on a tree branch behind her.

"Yes, though I favor a slightly different kind of whip, this will have to do." In Kurama's hand was a standard nine foot bullwhip. Strengthened with some type of energy Ranma didn't recognize, "You won't go far."

Kurama started into a combo that had Ranma flipping and dodging from streetlight to streetlight. He was able to wrap it around her arm, but she grabbed the whip with both hands and yanked. Kurama decided to let go instead of being pulled along with it and rushed her while she was off balance. As he lashed out with his left leg he noticed something, 'When did she lose her shoes?'

Ranma allowed herself to fall backwards to avoid the kick, gripping the steel support bar of the streetlight with her toes, and used the momentum to flip herself over the wall of the local park. Kurama gave chase.

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"Seems like Kurama is having a good bit of fun down there," Gouki said, watching from his and Hiei's perch. The two fighters had moved into the park with Ranma diving in and out of the foliage to get glance strikes against Kurama, and Kurama himself had been luring her to a clearing that even those human classmates couldn't follow them. Hiei removed his headband, using the power behind it to hypnotize the humans to believe the two fighters had run to the other side of the park.

"Now we shall see her true power." Hiei stated as he re-wrapped the headband around his forehead.

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'It seems Hiei wants me to draw out her true power,' Kurama thought as he sensed his classmates rush off in a different direction.

"Tell me, Ranma. How did you figure out that I'm part fox?" Kurama asked, "I was sure I disguised my scent well."

"You can't hide your aura. It reeks of a Yoko fox." she chuckled darkly.

"And you bear the scent of a nekomata." Kurama said softly, pulling a rose from his hair. Ranma's sinister grin turned feral.

"You've figured me out. Maybe... you should know what happened to me." Ranma slowly began to stalk around the clearing, circling Kurama, "When I was a child, my father found a training manual. Dig a pit ten meters deep and five meters wide. Make sure the walls straight and smooth. Fill the pit with cats of all sizes and variety, preferably feral or stray, and leave them down there until the start to starve, but not so long enough that they would start to kill each other for food. Next, take a child, under ten, the younger the better. Tie them with some sort of fish product and throw them into the pit, sealing it up after them."

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As Kurama felt the presence of Ranma's inner demon coming to the fore, so did Hiei.

"Gouki, be ready to step in. This is the power she used that drew my attention. That of a nekomata..."

"Aw, sounds like the little guy has a crush," Gouki teased as he and Hiei hit the ground running.

"Shut up you fool."

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As Ranma had told her story, her stalking became more of a prowl, leading her to gain a distinctly feline gait. A strange mix of energy pour out of her, one had the feel of demon energy, but the other was denser than human spirit energy. Comparing the two, most human Spirit energy was like a blade, while this energy was blunt and deadly, like an oni's club. The energy was taking shape around her, shifting and roiling. It had taken a reddish-orange hue as it finish forming around her.

'Demonic Shadow Cloak, this is less of a possession or merging of souls, and more of a binding of the demon to her soul.' Kurama readied the rose grasped between his fingers, 'Hiei and Gouki are on their way to interfere if need be. This is a fight in which I can no longer hold back.'

"Pops, the bastard, thought it didn't work the first time. So he kept throwing me back into the pit. A day became a week, and a week became two weeks. I soon lost track of time. One day I burst out of the pit, mauling the old man. The Neko-ken was partially successful." The aura had taken the shape of a human sized Nekomata, surrounding her slouched form, "But then, nearly a year ago, something woke up. I, and everyone else, thought the Neko-ken was a martial arts technique. But it's not. It's a ritual, to summon and bind a demon to one's soul. The one in me, she only ever protected me, even if I hated her. She told me what I am, what I would become. All I wanted was to be left alone! But no, you and your friends had to irritate me, you three are even worse than that ghost boy that was hanging around me! Just leave me alone and DIE!"

Ranma leapt forward, swinging with her right. Kurama noticed she was nearly in a complete berserker state, the aura moved as she did, but with a slight delay. If she hit, it would hit as well scoring two hits. He had to gain distance and fast.

"Rose Whip!"

The two combatants threw themselves at each other, the red haired girl dodging or countering the thorny whip wielded by the red haired boy. They began to blur in and out of existence while exchanging blows or slashes. The two fighters suddenly disengaged and jumped apart, in order to observe each other.

"Well now Ranma, it seems as if we are both near our end. One final attack and this match will be over," Kurama spoke, almost as if promising what he said was the truth. Ranma crouched low as Kurama readied his whip, waiting for a mutual signal. Suddenly leaping forward, Ranma sent both of her cloak's front paws towards her opponent, the legs of the cloak stretching impossibly as the attack rushed forward, as his whip seemed to weave around her attacks. Both attacks struck home as the two fighters failed to dodge.

For a moment, both stood still before Kurama asked, "Would you be of some assistance Hiei? Both of us are going to need medical attention."

As both redheads started to fall forward, two blurs appeared out of the bush to catch them. The two blurs turned into Hiei and Gouki

"Kurama, I thought I asked you to test her, not get yourself killed," Hiei said as he propped the fox demon against a nearby tree.

"It was necessary. Anyone who has even partial mastery of the Neko-ken is deadly."

"Cat Fist? What's that?" Gouki asked, having never heard of such a style or attack in his considerable life.

"We'll discuss this later Gouki. Do you want me to bring a demon healer that's been hiding nearby, or take you to those human doctors to keep up your facade?" Hiei asked with a slight sneer on his face.

"Human doctors, we don't want to scare off our new partner now, do we?" Kurama said, wiping some of the blood of his forehead, "Most of our wounds are superficial, but I tipped my whip's thorns with a sedative from demon world. That should keep her under for the next half hour or so, long enough to reach the hospital."

Making their way out of the woods, with only a short pause to retrieve the normal whip Kurama had abandoned halfway to the clearing, Kurama's classmates surrounded them.

"Hey Shuichi, what happened? It looks like you got mauled." One of the few boys not staring at the redhead on Gouki's back asked.

"It may look bad, but it's only superficial damage. If she hadn't underestimated my skill with my whip, she would have won." Even as they tried to get an answer out of him, Kurama said no more as he leaned on Hiei's shoulder.

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"Hello mother." Kurama said, allowing his bedridden mother to take in her son's bandaged appearance and the whip coiled in his hand.

"What happened to you, Shuichi?" Shiori asked, placing her hand on the bandage that wrapped around his left forearm.

"I did not wish to tell you before, to keep you from worrying, but I have been learning how to fight. Between the street gangs and lone punks like the boy, Urameshi I believe, the streets have gotten dangerous." Kurama sighed as he sat down, "These are from a challenge match with another Martial Artist. I picked the fight mother, having heard that the girl was one of the best. I barely won. At the moment she's a floor down getting checked over, so I decided to explain it all now."

Shiori gazed at her son's down cast face, fully expecting her to be angry or disappointed. He was a growing man, learning to stand on his own two feet. She was just surprised that her scholarly son had got into a fight, much less be the one that picked it. With a knock on the door, a short boy entered.

"What is it Hiei?" Kurama asked, looking away from his mother.

"Ranma's up, and we need you to take her home. Gouki has work to do and I'm needed somewhere else." With that the spiky haired boy vanished once more, leaving Shiori with her son.

"Who was that Shuichi?"

"A friend and a coworker, from that security company I told you about. I go on my first job here soon. Hiei and his partner Gouki are part of the teams that test the security of the buildings for the hiring firms, and I sit with the owners while the two of them get to us."

Shiori understood that something within that was a lie. She knew that her son would work with that boy by breaking into the buildings with him. He was such a caring boy, trying to keep her from worrying. Once she got better, she would try to get him to open up more. He hid away too much trying to be less of a burden on her, trying to be to mature for his age. Another knock on the door lead to her first sight of the girl her son had fought.

"My, Shuichi, maybe you should stop fighting girls and try to know them instead. She's much prettier than the ones that normally follow you around." Shiori teased, producing a questioning glance from the girl, and a sudden blush from her son. He had let go of his mask of maturity for a second and looked every bit of the embarrassed teenager he was.

"Mother!" Kurama cried softly. She never acted like this before!

"I'm just teasing you, my son. Don't worry Shuichi, I'm not angry with you. You never showed any interest in fighting before, so it surprised me. Just please, let your poor mother know when you get into these fights, so I can have the bandages ready when you come home."

Kurama nodded, before helping Shiori get comfortable in her bed.

"Let's go, Ranma-san. We have much to discuss."

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Ranma watched the three men uneasily. The small one with spiky hair, Hiei, had explained their plan and the Artifacts of Darkness. These three were to take the Artifacts for themselves while she retrieved a fourth one. When she asked what would happen if she refused, the big guy, Gouki, revealed himself to be a Kyukonki, or a soul sucking demon.

"You die here little Missy," the red skinned demon growled out. Ranma's eyes narrowed as the demon took a step back, clutching his cheek after Ranma disappeared.

"Don't think I'm the little girl that would scream in fright dumb-ass. After all, a half-dragon princess I happen to know is a lot scarier than you." The redhead said as she blurred back into existence behind the large demon.

Gouki moved his hand from his face, revealing that his cheek had been completely sliced through from lip to jaw bone.

'But my skin is harder than rock when I'm in this form!' Gouki cried out mentally as he held the two sides of the cut together and letting them heal back to normal while Hiei took over for him.

"Ignore the fool. The treasure you will be going after is held in a different part of the castle. Koenma himself holds it at his desk, though he can only use it to prevent any foreseen, and sometimes unforeseen, collapses of Spirit World itself, or his father, the mighty King Enma, will punish him severely. Think of it as a counter to the three treasures we will take, and if we try to do something you don't like, you can stop us from using the items to do so. It's like creating universal rules that everyone has to obey. What do you say?"

Ranma clenched her fists. The runt drove a hard bargain. A sacred artifact that could solve her problems, help her destroy her enemies, restore her honor, her manhood! That sealed the deal for her, and her savage and cruel smirk said it all.

"We go tonight, while Koenma is busy making sure that runt demon Jyaki doesn't escape again."

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It had been pathetically easy for Ranma to penetrate the security around Koenma's office. While Hiei, Kurama, and Gouki were causing a ruckus on the lower levels, Ranma was to find the Journal. Slipping through the doors at the back of the cubical like office that the ogres were supposed to work, she noticed some one was still there.

"Who are you, Ogre?" Ranma asked, looking at the large blue Ogre leaning against the desk with a spiked metal club at his side. The balding Ogre looked up, his glare sending her a disappointed look that caused her to sneer.

"Jorge Saotome, _your_ Ogre." He said standing up, towering two feet taller than her.

"Explain, what do you mean _my_ Ogre?" Ranma asked, her eyes narrowing at the Ogre's family name.

"Whenever a human or demon of exceptional power or destiny is born, an Ogre is born as well so Spirit World Administrations can track them, in a way. Such as when you die, I die. As you turn into a demon, I get stronger and more brutish, while I gain more intelligence and other such traits when you do something exceptionally heroic, bordering a divine action. It's all cumulative you see. As your demonic side has been emerging over the past few months, I've gotten crankier, getting into more fights with Lord Koenma. Before I was his right hand Ogre, now I'm on the verge of losing my job here and being relegated to guard duty." Jorge stepped pass her heading towards the door, "I won't tell you what to do, you shouldn't even know I exist. I'm going against several laws and a direct order in order just to talk to you. These past months as well as the ones ahead are your ordeal, your obstacles to overcome. Koenma will be sending the Spirit Detective after you and the three downstairs. We probably won't meet again anytime soon. Goodbye Ranma, follow your soul to the path best for you."

Ranma let the Ogre, Jorge, walk away. She didn't know why, but she did. His life was tied to hers, and perhaps her to his. They were so different, yet she could see her former courage blazing in his eyes. Looking down at the desk, the Journal was sitting in the center of the desktop, turned towards her. He knew she was coming, and he left it out for her.

"Sorry Jorge, but right now I need this notebook more than your boss does," Ranma said softly to herself before grinning a decidedly cold and cynical grin as she flipped it open, seeing that something had happened with the Ghost-boy, and he had tried to fix it with the Journal, "But when people like your boss play by the rules others set, its only because they're too scared to be caught cheating the rules set by others."

Ranma dashed out of the offices to the entrance of Spirit Kurama used to sneak them in. They were waiting for her. As Hiei and Gouki left, Kurama spoke to her.

"It seems fate has smiled on you, Ranma. You got your Artifact with the least amount of trouble." Kurama said, his voice taking the friendly monotone that he had begun using around Hiei and Gouki when the two of them had met the two pure demons in the warehouse after they had left the Hospital.

"I don't believe in fate, everything is just... a simple coincidence. Even you can't sense the life energies that still linger around you because you're so enamored with your demonic and spirit energies. You are a living, breathing human just as I am. Yet we sided with demons to get what we want. It doesn't matter who you were before, Shuichi Kurama, because everything you were is gone." Turning to face him directly, Ranma sneered, "Do we have an understanding, Yoko Minamino?"

'What an interesting, if not troubling, line of thought. But it's not like I have questioned myself along those lines before.' Kurama thought. Ranma stepped through the portal to the Living World, and he followed her quickly.

XxXxXxXx

"Ogre, Are you sure that it was for the best that we let her take the real Journal?" Koenma asked, watching a replay of his employee confronting, and revealing everything that connected the two of them, Ranma.

"Yes sir, Lord Koenma. Ranma may be going through rough times, but as I said, it is her ordeal to overcome. I assume you put Yusuke on the case?"

"I just got back from doing so."

"Then, sir, we should watch."

XxXxXxXx

As Yusuke approached the clearing that contained the fugitives, Hiei was speeding around it, turn the trees into imp demons.

"Oh yes, this is just perfect!" Hiei exclaimed as he continued to dash around the clearing, "It this sword can make demons so easily from dead trees, imagine what it will do to humans. I say we go to the human city and carve out a thousand of them. Imagine raising a new demon army!"

"I like the way you think, Hiei. If we teach them to feed on human souls I even know how we'll feed them all, The Orb of Baast!" Gouki laughed along with Hiei.

"And once the moon becomes full, we can use Kurama's mirror to gain complete control of them, and Ranma can use that Journal to sniff out and prevent meddling well doers from interfering with our plans, isn't that right you two?" Hiei called out to the other side of the clearing.

Kurama stepped out of the shadows while Ranma remained sitting on her tree branch.

"I'm sorry," Kurama began, "But I must withdraw from this alliance."

Gouki and Hiei questioned him out of shock, while Ranma looked on, not surprised that the boy would withdraw from the two demon's presence. Her deliberate questioning of his human nature had told her as much.

"Surely you're not dropping out of the game when we've come this far!" Hiei demanded, angry that his recruitment of the infamous Yoko Kurama was already beginning to bite him in the ass.

"Well, yes."

"Coward! Years of hiding yourself among them have made you just like them, spineless and foolish! What about you Ranma?" Hiei was furious by this point.

"I will be where I always am, watching and waiting. I will know when to strike." Ranma said, not looking away from the Ki signature making its way towards them through the rain. It seemed as if the ghost boy that had been following her around had managed to find a way to regain his life.

"At least she's got some manners. He can walk away, but he's got no right to the loot." Gouki said, stashing the Orb in his pocket, "Now, give us that pretty little mirror."

"I can't. I have a great need for it myself first."

Gouki grinned, "Alright then, I'll beat it out of you!"

As he swung his fist a voice called out, causing Gouki to stop and turn around.

"Howdy there, neighbors. Couldn't help but notice you got no rain falling down over here." Yusuke said as he walked into the clearing, taking account of everyone there, 'There's Gouki, the bastard with the Orb. He took that kid's soul earlier. Short stuff must be Hiei, and the third guy must be Kurama. Seems he wants out. Where's the fourth one?'

"Maybe next time you guys go stealing some ancient and powerful toys, you shouldn't hide where ever it's so obviously sunny." he said as he located Ranma on the far side of the clearing, 'Damn, Koenma was right, she really did join these demons. Mom and Keiko are looking all over the city for her and here she is, having stepped up from a 'snatch and grab to feed myself' thief all the way to 'I plunder the magical booty' thief.'

"And just when I was looking up to you. So why'd ya do it?" Yusuke smirked as Ranma landed lightly on the ground.

"Well Ghost-boy, hatred is a much underestimated emotion. I hate everyone equally, the problem is getting me to like you. This world is full of bigots that would use me to their own ends, so why disappoint myself thinking everyone is always going to speak the truth around me? It's better to accept that even my former family and friends would prefer to lie to my face. It makes it all the better to beat the truth out of them now that I have this Journal."

"So who are you?" Hiei asked, having not sensed the human boys approach.

"Yeah, what's your name?" Gouki followed up

"Well I hoped you'd ask me that," Yusuke said tossing away the tree branch he used to shelter himself from the rain, "The name's Yusuke Urameshi, Spirit Detective."

"Tch, Spirit World must be grasping at straws to retrieve these artifacts, his Spirit Energy is rather low."

"But his Life Energy, Ki, is nearly equal to those twice his age," Ranma cut in, "With sixty times his martial training."

"What got you in such a cheery mood? Got a monkey brat on your back?" Yusuke asked, gesturing to Hiei.

Ranma smiled a cold smile. With a small leap backwards into the shadows of the forest, she vanished from the clearing leaving an echoing whisper, "Remember Hiei, I will know when to strike."

"Sorry, but I must be going. I have no time to be arrested," with that Kurama walked off as well, completely disappearing once he hit the rain line.

Hiei gave chase, yelling, "Kurama, you just can't walk out on our plan!"

"Well, that was rude," Yusuke said looking at the spot Hiei had disappeared from.

"The girl has more manners than the other two, but something's been weigh on her mind since before we recruited her. I don't pretend to know. I'm also more polite than the other guys, I'll turn myself in nice and neat if I can't rip off your head." Gouki said, reaching into his pocket.

"Sounds like a plan to me, just don't pull my hair," Yusuke shot back.

As Gouki declared he needed a snack and pulled out the little boy's soul from earlier, Yusuke watched him swallow it. As he beat the soul out of him, Gouki chuckled. When he stood back up and transformed, Yusuke freaked.

"Aw man, after this I need to get Koenma to show me how to fight monsters."

"That's easy kid," Gouki ground out, ripping a tree out of the ground to beat the puny human boy around with, "You run away!"

After a brief tussle, and Yusuke remembering he had already used the Spirit Gun for the day Gouki chuckled once again, "Do you know what the best spices for a soul are? Some fear and a dash of pain!"

'Crap, I can't believe I'm going to die... AGAIN!' Yusuke thought as the demon closed in on him.

XxXxXxXx

Author's Note: And that's the wrap for the first part of the rewrite of the original chapter two. I decided since I was going in a completely of the wall direction from the original. So I'll be working on said next chapter next. Yusuke is still interested of bringing Ranma around to the Urameshi family, but there are closer ties between them than just a couple of stories of being kicked out of the clans, so what could it be? Also, Jyaki was the tiny little demon that Yusuke catches on his first day after being revived, called him a tape worm. This is Dingo, signing off!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Deal and the Mind

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Disclaimer I do not own Ranma ½ or Yu Yu Hakusho.

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Hiei scoffed as he watched Yusuke laugh about getting The Orb of Baast and The Mirror of Forlorn Hope. He and his little assistant, the blue-haired reaper girl, had no right to be as giddy as they were.

"Gouki died because he was to over-confident, Kurama is weighed down with human baggage," Hiei muttered, standing on top of a telephone pole before turning his Jagan eye to the abandoned building complex where Ranma lived, "Ranma has kept to herself, she's barely even looked at the Journal."

"Because I've been watching and waiting, like I said I would. You should make your move soon." Ranma said as she walked under him, sure he could hear her, "While you keep Ghost-boy busy, I'll make my first move, preventing Spirit World from interfering while everyone is focused on you."

"Fine, but I'm going to retrieve the other two treasures, and take Urameshi's life with the Shadow Sword!"

Ranma continued to walk away as Hiei disappeared. Today she would use the Journal, she had to get ready.

XxXxXxXx

Hiei felt Ranma watching him as he battled with the Spirit Detective. She wouldn't interfere, her honor wouldn't allow interference into someone's fight.

'Since he is able to withstand the hypnotic gaze of my Jagan eye, and he's also increased his speed when his assistant and girlfriend were put in danger, let's see how he stands up to this.'

"You know, you should be honored that I have to use this form for a human opponent, it's my most powerful form." Hiei said as he removed his cloak, skin turning green, "In fact, only three others have seen this form before, and you killed one of them!"

Eyes began to open across his body, his hair stood on end trying to escape the Jagan's gaze. Ranma smirked as she watched from her vantage point as blood dripped down her palm, she whispered, "It's time."

'Hmm, my Jaganshi form doesn't seem to be affecting the girl's demonic growth, I wonder if this is part of Ranma's doing.' Hiei thought as he flared his power, before charging Yusuke with a right cross to the side of the human's face, "You have no time to be gawking, Detective!"

XxXxXxXx

'This demonic energy, Hiei must of been hard pressed to take on this form,' Kurama thought as he came up to the warehouse where Hiei had been hiding, before noticing Ranma nearby, furiously writing in the Journal, with her own blood, 'What is she doing!'

Ranma gave him a half crazed grin before vanishing, her hand still dripping with blood.

XxXxXxXx

Hiei laughed as he held Yusuke aloft, "How do you like my Jagan's Binding Curse?"

"Green ones would match much better!"

"A joker to the end then, I like that," Hiei laughed as he telekinetically swung Yusuke around the room, crashing him into several crates around the warehouse, before slamming his body into the concrete floor, "Now let's see Detective, I could kill you now or turn you into a demon with this sword. What, you want me to choose? All right then!"

As Hiei stabbed the sword forward, Yusuke closed his eyes. As the sound of metal slicing through flesh was heard, but not the feeling of pain, Yusuke opened his eyes. Kurama stood in front of him, sword protruding out of his back.

"Kurama!"

The red-haired boy said nothing as he splashed the Jagan on Hiei's forehead before doubling over and removing the sword from his stomach, "The Jagan eyes on Hiei's body are merely amplification points for his energy, remove the main Jagan on his forehead, and they have no power."

Yusuke watched Hiei furiously rub at the blood in his eye, "Kurama, you didn't have to do that."

"I couldn't help but to feel indebted to you, so I decided to help. Besides, it's only a minor hole in my stomach," Kurama said, even though he was thinking, "When we tested the sword before, it didn't affect me at all. What is this sensation I feel from the wound? It seems to have the same feeling as the human girl over there.'

As Yusuke and Hiei continued their fight, Kurama stumbled over to the shinigami girl, "What happened?"

"I was trying to keep Keiko from turning into a demon, she had been cut by Hiei before we got here. Suddenly the eye that was opening from the cut sealed itself away and a familiar voice told me that she had rewritten the rules of the sword, it now activates the potential that lies within their blood and soul!"

"Ranma, she is the only one that could do something like that. I barely know anything other than her name, yet it seems that this is within her nature." Kurama felt the strange energy finish integrating into his own energy, and the wound sealed itself up.

Yusuke had ran, Hiei chasing him. Stopping and turning, Yusuke charged his attack.

"Spirit Gun!"

Hiei saw this and dodged, and Yusuke freaked, 'Where'd the mirror go?!'

Hiei laughed, "That's some hidden ace Detective, with quite some power to. Too bad you went and wasted it on bad aim... Argh!"

Hiei was hit in the back with what looked like the Spirit Gun, but three times larger.

"Yusuke got him!" Botan exclaimed.

"No, that wasn't Spirit Energy... It's Ranma." Kurama gasped as the girl appeared with the three Treasures circled around her in the air. She stood in the center of the room, all four of the awake occupants staring at her as she began to speak.

"The Orb of Baast, It could once take the souls of any living being, but it will only receive the souls of the wicked and corrupt." Ranma said in a low voice, holding the Orb in the air as it flashed with power, "Be glad that none of you qualify to have your soul removed, while evil is necessary, corruption is not."

Hiei snorted angered that he had been betrayed not once, but twice, and then insulted in such a manner. If he had been able to move, he would have retrieved the Sword and removed her head.

"The Mirror of Forlorn Hope. I have not changed it as the drawback is already severe, and the consciousness with in the mirror itself decides whether someone lives or dies." Ranma said as she grasped the mirror in her other hand. Both objects suddenly vanished as she continued.

'She can create a null space to hold and store items!' Kurama thought, remembering how his old partner could do so as well, and it had been very handy to have, 'Humans are amazing creatures if they can learn such a wide variety of abilities in such short lifespans.'

"The Shadow Sword is no longer a proper name for this blade," Ranma gripped the demonic looking handle, "I believe that The Sword of Awakening would be a better name."

Ranma suddenly dashed forward, with Hiei giving a startled yell as she slashed his right arm open from wrist to shoulder. Yusuke tried to dive behind a crate as Ranma turned on him, only for her to slash his back from left shoulder to right hip.

"The wounds will heal soon enough. All I did was awaken your potential. Kurama is a Yoko fox, and has developed his powers as such, but he has neglected his human abilities. The girl's potential is that of an average person, to become more than average. She had already started to use that potential, the sword's new abilities have sped things up a bit." Ranma grinned menacingly at Hiei, causing his blood to run cold when he realized she had changed his very person with the sword, "Hiei, Hiei, Hiei, trying to ignore your mother's blood by only using your fire powers, how sad."

Hiei bristled, before yelling, "My mother's people are all women! How am I, a male, supposed to use their powers?!"

"Your body will adapt. I believe it will change to fit the powers you are using at the time, kinda like I use to." Ranma laughed, enjoying the slight look of panic across the normally stoic fire apparition's face. Ranma suddenly leaned to the side as Yusuke tried to cave the back of her head in, "Nice try, but I don't need thirty eyes to see my enemies behind me."

Ranma grabbed Yusuke's outstretched arm and threw him across the warehouse, with him hitting the wall next to Kurama and Botan, "Ghost-boy, tell your boss that I want to speak with his father. I'll return the Artifacts then and there when Enma and I have our 'talk'. Also tell him to have his father meet me at the rubble of Horai Mountain. He should know where it is. After all, he watched me blow it up."

As Ranma turned to leave she called over her shoulder, "Oh, and Ghost-boy. If I were you I would try to find your friend the idiot that loves cats. I'm going after him next. And who knows what sort of potential could awaken in him."

Ranma laughed as she slowly faded from existence in front of them. As Botan stood up to contact Koenma, a thought struck her, "She never told us what sort of potential she unlocked in Yusuke."

XxXxXxXx

Ranma stood on top of the highest point in Nerima. From here she could view everything of importance through aura scans, even though she couldn't see them properly. Furinkan High school was nearly destroyed, looking like a building that had survived a bomb blast. It wasn't at the epicenter of the destruction, but it was close. The entirety of the Nerima Ward had fallen into disarray without her here to prevent the fights from going even more out of control than they usually did. A lot of the buildings and homes were abandoned, the local hospital had a newly constructed reinforced concrete wall surrounding it, and the police seemed to be patrolling even more heavily than before.

Ranma turned and left the district as fast as possible. It was not the time to take her vengeance, even if she had gotten a hold of the Three Artifacts of Darkness and the Journal. She still needed to be stronger than them, better than them. Ranma hoped her own soul could withstand what she would have to do, as well as those that would be forced to assist her.

XxXxXxXx

"Well, Kuwabara's fine. I just talked to him and he's keeping his guard up just in case Ranma goes after him." Botan said as she sat down in Yusuke's living room with the Spirit Detective and Kurama. Hiei had been taken to Spirit world when she went to tell Koenma about Ranma's demands, and the Fire Apparition was now sitting in a specialized cell waiting for his punishment.

"So what's going on with the big guy in charge?" Yusuke asked, wondering what was going on between the Lord of the Afterlife and the red-haired girl that had single handedly thrashed him and Hiei.

"Lord Enma surprisingly understood the situation, even to the point of forgetting Koenma's punishment entirely. Apparently Ranma killed someone in the lower echelons of Divinity, and with the Artifacts she could easily fight and possibly kill those of his own power and lower in the chain of command when it comes to the deities that govern the world."

"Then what is she?" Kurama asked, wonder just what he had fought, believing that if she could do that he was lucky to be alive.

"She's a rare breed of human known as 'God-slayer'."

Everyone turned to the TV, where Koenma had appeared on the screen. Yusuke, Kurama, Botan, and even Atsuko, who had walked in with some refreshments, all stared at the multi-centennial toddler.

"Yusuke, do you know the brat that just took over our TV?" Atsuko asked as she carefully placed the drinks down before sitting down on the couch, trying real hard to keep from fainting.

"I'm the younger brother of Yusuke's new boss. I tend to play delivery boy because I'm really good with electronics. In fact, the only reason this even works is because of the camera that now sits on top of your television." Koenma said pointing up. Everyone sweated at the site of the very noticeable camera that they had somehow overlooked.

"Anyways, we here at headquarters were able to dig up some more information about Ranma. The story goes like this..."

XxXxXxXx

Ranma landed on the ruins of the once great Mount Horai. The fissure that had been created by Herb's attack had filled itself in with the mountain. Ranma shuddered, trying to push the memories of that day down. She was here for a reason, and she needed to focus.

"Greetings, God-slayer." A man, taller and larger than her former father greeted her, having walked out of a portal. He wouldn't look out of place in America or Europe, being so tall and large. Here it was uncommon, and he might garter a few looks.

"Enma." Ranma nodded before gazing up at the raising moon, "I only need the Sword of Awakening. You can have the rest."

"Oh? Just giving everything up so easily? You've definitely learned since your time in Nerima."

"The Mirror and Orb are useless to me. Everything I wrote in the Journal was written in my blood. I have everything I need, except a way to awaken others potentials faster than years of training." Ranma looked straight at the large man, "Don't think that I don't know about those bodyguards in the shadows."

Enma sighed as he stared up into the sky, "I take no chances with someone who has a good chance of killing me."

"And what's a good chance?"

"Any chance whatsoever of killing me."

"Paranoid."

"Cautious."

"So, I've put my offer on the table. You get the three items back and I keep the sword. What's your offer?"

"I was under the impression that you would make me bend to your demands. Let me see the Journal." Lord Enma carefully slit his index finger, and under Ranma's messy and bloody scrawl that covered several pages of the Journal, He made his own entry with rather elegant writing given the means of transcription. Handing the journal back to Ranma, he waited for her reaction.

"Interesting. I agree to your terms." Ranma said, signing under his entry with her own blood.

"Now, I believe your previous entry needs to happen." Enma said as he gathered up the Three Artifacts he was taking back. Ranma would keep the blade as long as she adhered to the contract. She had changed all four of the Artifacts, ever so slightly for the Journal and Forlorn Hope, and used a fifth entry to ensure the creation of an object that would be given to his son after its use.

Enma shuddered as he watched Ranma leap off into the wilds. She had planned everything out, all the way to the beginning of the next Dark Tournament. Excluding any missions Koenma would give his new Spirit Detective, Ranma would train her team. She had used the Journal to ensure that hints were dropped in the right places.

Nabiki had gotten an internship with one of the members of the Black Black Club. Mousse and Kuno had been recruited by a demon doctor with an interest in the human spirit. She even had guided the committee to look at a 'possible' Guest team. With six spots still open in the Tournament, Ranma would undoubtedly twist his son's arm into sponsoring her team. Only one of her targets seemed to be unaccounted for even with his intelligence officers. But he would show up, just as he always did.

XxXxXxXx

In a South American Jungle

XxXxXxXx

"Stand up boy. I know you're not dead." A large, heavily muscled man with a flat top and a pair of shades said.

"Why should I keep fighting you? You're not the one I want dead," the teenage boy said, spiting a gob of blood off to the side.

"Interesting, most people would consider it an honor to fight me, even at thirty-five percent." The man said, "Yet you're looking past me to another fighter. Tell me, who is this fighter?"

"The one who made my life HELL!" The boy roared, "SHI SHI HOKODAN!"

The green blast of energy streaked towards the man, who threw up both of his hands to block it. When it began to push him back, he grunted, his muscles began expanding rapidly. He was able to dissipate the attack with a shout, before smirking at the boy whose emotions were clear on his face. The teen had become emotionally hollow, so it would have been pointless to redirect the attack back at him as he had become immune to it.

"Yes, such a strange attack you have boy. It's been a long time since a human has forced me past fifty percent." the man smirked as the boy fell forward, completely drained, "Maybe you'll make a fine edition to the team, if you survive. Bui. Karasu. Train him."

A man in heavy armor stepped forward from the foliage, followed by a vampiric looking man as well as a smaller man, who climbed onto the fighter's back.

"Come, little brother," the smaller man said, "We have some work to do. Some people to kill and that Torukane man keeps offering us larger sums of money to come help him with his problem."

"Of course brother."

XxXxXxXx

Urameshi Apartment

XxXxXxXx

"Wow. Just how strong is she?" Kurama asked. Killing a demigod was no easy feat, especially Saffron the Phoenix.

"In terms of power that you can understand, she would tear you Hiei to shreds as you currently are. Every time she has become a threat to a god, she was wielding some magical or enchanted artifact that put her on even footing with them. Saffron was a low B-rank deity, Ranma seems to be somewhere between mid to high C-rank."

"It makes sense, she was able to cut through Gouki's skin with nothing more than a flick of her wrist."

"Whoa, wait a minute. You mean the big red guy that pounded me into the pavement right?" Yusuke asked.

"The very same, even I would be hard pressed to beat him if I hadn't already known his weaknesses."

"That's not what I'm worried about though," Atsuko said as she lit a cigarette, "You said she was a Saotome. The only Ranma Saotome I know is my dearly despised sister's kid. Even before I was thrown out of the clan, Nodoka was the perfect child. Being as traditional as she was, I laughed myself sick when I heard she married some fat-ass martial artist that convinced her to be the perfect little house wife. Now unless my nephew had a gender reassignment surgery, how in the world is he a she?"

"Geez mom, maybe they lied?"

"No, I visited them once before, and before Nodoka ran me and your deadbeat father off, her husband Genma had let us in while she was at the market. Ranma was definitely a boy." Atsuko said, rapping her knuckles on her son's head.

"As I have told you, Yusuke fights demons for our agency. Ranma was turned into a girl by the way of Jusenkyo." Koenma said as he read over a piece of paper that had been handed to him.

"Yes, but you never explained Jusenkyo."

"Short version is it has hundreds of cursed springs. Fall into a spring and you take the form of whatever drowned in that particular spring. When you get splashed with cold water, you turn into your curse form. Hot water temporarily reverses it until being splashed by cold water again. Ranma fell into Nyannichuan, or Spring of Drowned Girl. Recent events lead to Ranma's cursed form becoming her only form. Even with the powers of the Journal she stole, she would not be able to regain her male form, something she's bound to be pissed about." Koenma looked directly at Yusuke and Atsuko, "Especially since Jusenkyo is the home of the Elder Deity, the Dragon Ju-Sen-Kyo, which the springs are named after. He believes it is his role to correct the faults in the reincarnation process, and gets angered when someone finds a way to cure themselves of his 'blessing'. Elder deities like him are old and primal powers. It would take several demons equal in power of the Demon Kings to injure him enough to annoy him, so we try to keep him happy."

"I would imagine," Kurama said, stunned that there were beings of such power still in the world.

"Yes. Now Yusuke, your case is still open. With Gouki dead, Kurama on parole, and Hiei in custody, you still need to apprehend Ranma herself. My father was able to retrieve three of the four treasures from her, allowing her to keep the former Shadow Sword, but you need to bring her in."

"Why do I get the feeling that this isn't going to be a walk in the park?"

XxXxXxXx

Yusuke approached the building where Ranma lived, with Botan, Kurama, and his mother. Opening the large front door, he felt like he was entering the lair of a great beast, an apex predator that was stalking them from the shadows. Kurama was on edge just like him, apparently he had never felt this from his 'partner', and Botan was shivering in fear. His mother though took a long drag on her cigarette before sighing.

"Come on out, Ranma." Atsuko called, wanting to see her 'niece' for the first time in a while.

"So you came, with the correct number of helpers to." A voice called out from above them, as Ranma was sitting in the second story window of the lobby they were in. "Though I don't know the voice that just called out."

Ranma leaped down, landing on her hands before shifting her weight to end up sitting on the lobby desk in front of them. Staring straight at Atsuko, she gave a questioning look.

"I'm the idiot's mother. Heard your story and I want you to answer truthfully," Atsuko took another long drag on her cigarette, "Were you once the boy named Ranma Saotome?"

"If I say yes, do I have to marry the doofus or his sister?" Ranma asked, eyes narrowing.

"I would hope not," Atsuko said giving Ranma a good once over, before muttering "Nodoka, you truly are an idiot. She looks just like you and you thought you could control her life?"

"Just who are you?" Ranma asked, ready to show her what was going to happen if the woman tried to take her back to her former parents.

"You don't remember me? I'm hurt." Atsuko sighed dramatically, "It's me! You're dear ol' disowned Aunt 'Suko!"

"If you're Auntie Suko, then where's Uncle Bum?" Atsuko threw her head back and laughed, remembering she had introduced her ex-husband as 'this lazy bum' and Ranma had called him that several times before Nodoka had shown up screaming at her.

"I divorced the deadbeat years ago. He's the worse kind of drunk, and after Yusuke got hurt in one of our fights he packed up and left."

"Good riddance to the bastard to." Yusuke snorted, "Anyways, Koenma said something about you turning yourself in if we pass your test or something about that."

"Yes, the test." Ranma slid off the counter and beckoned them to follow. She wasn't sure if this was truly her aunt and cousin, and at the moment she didn't care. Her family had abandoned her and it would take a lot for them to prove themselves to her. They kept walking towards the end of the hall as it slowly began to shift and churn around them.

"What is this magic?" Kurama asked, wondering why it felt as if he had left his body. Ranma turned and smiled a dark, self-loathing smile. She had to do this, if they were strong enough to survive this, then her plans would follow through. Not even Enma's little contract could hold her back, he had been too loose in his wording. He thought he could trick her to act with honor and follow the measly deal word for word, but she no longer had the same sense of honor she had in Nerima. No one could control her, not for long.

"Welcome to my mind, you four. Survive the horrors that I faced behind these doors, and prove yourselves, and you win. Failure means death of the mind and soul." Ranma said as four doors materialized out of nowhere. Smirking, Ranma faded out of sight, "Begin."

XxXxXxXx

Author's Note- That's the end for now! It seems as if Ranma is trying to plan out her vengeance, though the Spirit World leader himself tried to step in and interfere. How will Yusuke and the others survive the monsters in Ranma's mind? Why was Toguro fighting the lost boy? And will Ranma be able to carry through with her plans? Also, this was the last rewrite for this story, chapters 4-7, which I have written but not typed, are never before seen content.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Test and the Sentence

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Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or Yu Yu Hakusho.

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Yusuke couldn't believe this. He was trapped in the mind of someone strong enough to make Enma, Lord of the Underworld, think twice about confronting her, and he had no idea what they were supposed to do. Kurama seemed to be pondering the four doors in front of the group as Botan seemed to be in the beginning stages of a freak out. Atsuko sighed as she tapped her knuckle on one of the doors, an unlit cigarette hanging from her mouth.

"I think," Kurama started as he pointed at the doors, "Behind each door there is a different piece of Ranma's core personality. Male, Demon, Child, Honor. From what I know about her past, each of these things are very much a part of her mental image of herself, no matter what she physically looks like."

"So we each chose a door and go through," Atsuko said, "So who goes where?"

"The Doors marked Male and Demon are most likely the most dangerous doors, so Yusuke and I should take those. Child seems to be the least dangerous, and Honor, well that can be dangerous on many levels that the others aren't," Kurama said as he gripped the handle for the Demon door, "I'll take this one, I've already experienced this side of her once, I should be able to handle it again."

"That leaves me and Botan the Child and Honor doors," Atsuko said as she turned to the ferry girl, "Which one you want?"

"I'll take the Child," Botan said as she chose the one door that didn't sound dangerous. It wasn't that she was a coward, but she knew what Ranma was capable of.

"Your funeral," Atsuko said as she threw open the door for honor and walked through. She knew what a hellion Ranma had been as a child, just from the brief visit she had made to her sister's home. She only hoped Botan didn't attempt to strangle whatever was behind the door. Yusuke shrugged as Botan began to freak out even more as he opened his door, and Kurama followed suite. All Botan could do was watch the three doors disappear, leaving the one marked Child. With a gulp, she slowly opened it and snuck in, hopefully not alerting whatever laid beyond it.

XxXxXxXx

With Ranma

XxXxXxXx

Ranma grinned as Kuwabara kept his friends close, thinking it would be safer to move in a group. He knew he was being watched, he could practically sense her. The three with him also had a good amount of potential, and it never hurt to have some back-up fighters. She knew who they were, she had been following them long enough to gather information, now it was time to play.

Kuwabara shivered as he heard the whisper of steel being drawn. He had watched more than enough samurai movies to know the sound, "Guys, get ready, that psycho Yusuke told me about might be here!"

Kirishima, a tall boy with dirty blond hair, looked around the empty street, "You sure that Urameshi ain't pulling your leg?"

"She attacked him with a sword! I just heard something that sounded like a sword being drawn!" Kuwabara retorted, his eyes scanning the alleyways.

"I don't get it, if this psycho is real, what's she want with you?" the boy with a shaved head, Sawamura, asked.

"Maybe she's trying to prove she the best," the last boy, Okubo said as he glanced down the street anxiously, "I mean, Urameshi said he only slashed him once before leaving right?"

"Yeah," Kuwabara muttered, "I still don't want to get sliced up by a sword though!"

"Completely understandable," a girl's voice said from the middle of the group, "But unfortunately you hold too much potential for me to leave you alone."

The four boys whirled around as they saw a short redheaded girl with a sword held at her side. She grinned, a frightening grin that filled them with fear. Suddenly she disappeared from the middle of the group and caused them to jump.

"Alright, I'll give you a chance. Run. If you escape, you won't feel the bite of my blade," the girl's voice carried with the wind.

Kuwabara's eyes widened as he turned to his gang, "Let's get going!"

Ranma watched as the four boys took off together. They had decided to stick together, so they had some loyalty. It was time to see how far that loyalty would go.

XxXxXxXx

Kurama walked through the darkness behind the door, his senses sharp and his guard up. His surroundings seemed to mimic a rocky cave, and his eyes could pick up movement that was always happening just out of sight. He knew it was here, and it knew that he knew, but it stayed just out of sight. So he kept walking, following the path.

The attack came suddenly from his left, probing his reflexes as he rolled forward. More attacks followed as Kurama continued to move forward. As he ducked, dodged and rolled out of the way, he recognized the intent behind the attacks. This 'Demon' did not consider him a threat, in fact it matched the behavior of neko demons everywhere, cementing Ranma's claim. He was currently acting as a mouse in a game of 'Cat and Mouse.' And he didn't like it.

He took off in a dead run as fast as he could as the cat became more interested in its new 'toy', the attacks coming in faster and from all sides. The long cave suddenly opened up into a large cavern with what seemed to be a deep pool of water covering over half of it. The sound of claws on stone alerted him to the coming danger, and Kurama leapt back as the cat demon landed where he had been.

Its large animalistic form shrunk down slowly from the size of an elephant to a human shape, putting him on the defensive. Its fur patterns reminded him more of a tiger than a house cat, or even a feral cat. He couldn't take any chances. The figure suddenly disappeared as Kurama felt a pair of arms drape over his shoulders and voice purred into his ears, "Oh my, why are you so tense Yoko? Has it really been long enough for you to forget me?"

"Matabi, I should have recognized your scent when I fought Ranma. Why are you here?"

The tigress's weight pulled away from his back as she slunk around until she was in front of him. She had barely changed since she disappeared thirteen years ago. Her wild mane of blood red hair matched the red and black tiger stripped 'bikini' she 'wore' to protect her 'modesty'. Her ears flicked back and forth in annoyance as her tail swished back and forth in a long slow motion. The only real change, it seemed, was that her body had matured and the 'little sister' to his band of thieves had grown up.

"After all these years that's the first thing you say to me? I'm hurt," She said as she turned away from him, crossing her arms and sniffing, "And here I was trying to make my host's challenge easy for at least one of you."

"Look Matabi, I apologize, but this is a dangerous situation for us. How much danger are the others in?" Kurama asked as he stayed where he was.

Matabi sighed, she knew that when he was on a mission, he wouldn't allow himself to be distracted, "The boy is going to get the shit beat out of him and the ferry girl is going to end up getting worn out. Honestly the woman is in the most danger."

"I figured, but Atsuko is also the most suited for dealing with that aspect." Kurama said as he relaxed, "Tell me Matabi, why have you merged with Ranma? Every one of us searched for you for months before we disbanded. Not long afterward I was forced into my spirit form by a Demon Hunter and I fled to the Human World, but I never expected to find you in such a state."

"The Neko-Ken ritual." Matabi stated as she moved forward, stopping directly in front of him. He noted that she was Ranma's height and it seemed like a lot of their physical features had been blended together. They looked almost like sisters. Matabi looked him in the eye and continued, "I was mad that you guys wouldn't take me on that raid with you and decided to visit the human world. As a low C Class, it was easy enough to get through. With me being attached to your reputation, not to mention how much like a kitten I looked like, I was mostly ignored by the other demons. So I started to wander around when I felt something draw me into the woods."

Kurama felt his heart drop as he realized what happened, "You were drawn to the ritual site and bound to Ranma when she was a child."

"Yep!" She chirped as she leaned forward, "While I can only take over when Ranma goes berserk from fear or when she would let me take control, such as one time where Ranma had hit his head and I took over making him act like a girly girl to freak everyone out. I decided to be like a big sister to the kid, I even managed to influence the Jusenkyo magic to make her girl form look like me."

"An admirable feat from what I've heard about the place."

"Not really, the old dragon want Ranma to turn into a girl, it didn't care what the girl form looked like. Normally that change just draws on the traits hidden in the blood, but I was able to tweak it a little." Matabi said as she leaned in even closer, pressing herself against Kurama.

Kurama went as red as his hair as his so called 'little sister' spoke, "I told you once I was old enough that you would be mine. Even if I have to share you with Ranma, I haven't forgotten."

"How much longer do I have to stay here?"

"Until the others finish."

Kurama cold on break out in a cold sweat as Matabi's grin turned predatory once more, 'I hope the others finish up soon!'

XxXxXxXx

The fat one, Okubo, was the first to fall. He lagged behind the others due to his weight and slow pace, but they never went far enough ahead to lose him. They didn't even know she had caught up until he had screamed in pain. The others turned to see him fall forward as the redheaded girl grinned and flicked his blood off of the blade.

"One down," she whispered as the three rushed her. Kirishima and Sawamura charged her, forcing her away from Okubo as Kuwabara, in an impressive display of strength, hoisted the downed boy in a fireman's carry. He turned and fled as Kirishima and Sawamura quickly followed, though Kirishima was cradling his profusely bleeding arm as the girl disappeared from sight again.

"Two down," her voice echoed through the empty street.

XxXxXxXx

Yusuke gulped as he found himself in a forest clearing, obviously set up like a campsite. It was defiantly used, the fire was going, a tent sat near it, and he could feel the eyes of someone on him. He started to turn in place, trying to locate the source of the feeling, only to feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight. Following his gut instinct, Yusuke threw himself onto the ground as a vicious spin kick scythed through the air where his torso had been.

"Good instincts Ghost Boy, looks like you won't be to disappointing of a fight after all." A male voice said, its cocky tone and demeanor automatically pissing Yusuke off. Jumping to his feet, Yusuke glared at what could only be Ranma's old male form. It only made sense as he looked like her twin.

"What's the big idea?!" Yusuke roared, "Do you greet everyone you meet by trying to break their spines?"

"Cool your head, nothing I do to ya here will affect your real body." The male Ranma said as he cracked his knuckles, "Besides, I was hopin' to get a crack at you. We heard about your little punk ass over in Nermia."

Yusuke started backing up as he remembered who this person in front of him really was. Just like everyone had apparently heard of him, he had heard of Ranma Saotome, even before Botan pulled her file. Everyone knew of the Nermia Wreaking Crew, and apparently if Ranma Saotome wanted to fight you, the only thing you could do was resign yourself to losing, because that's the one thing Ranma Saotome doesn't do. There were a bunch of other weird rumors about the people that Ranma had fought, but he never really cared to follow up on any of those rumors or even really remember them. Ranma had been in high school and he had been busy keeping the gangs around Sarayashiki from jumping him.

"And what did I do to get your attention?" Yusuke said as he shifted slightly.

"Just heard you were a good street fighter for your age, figured if we ever came across you we could see if you would make a decent student." The male Ranma said with a shrug.

"You say we a lot, is this the royal 'we' or something else?"

"You saw the doors, you can figure it out pretty easy if you think about it."

"Split personalities?"

"Ya got it in one, even though the only two that can take over our body are Ranma and the Neko-ken Demon." The older boy said with a shrug as he grinned, "Honestly the damn cat hasn't shut up since we saw the red headed fox, she knew him before or something."

"So Kurama picked the easy door then?" Yusuke asked as the older boy cocked his head to the side.

With a grin the older boy chuckled, "He's already passed her test, so I would say yes."

"I'm screwed aren't I?"

"Yep."

"And you're going to enjoy this, aren't you?"

"Oh maliciously."

"Shit." Was all Yusuke said as Ranma blurred forward, his fist burying itself into Yusuke's stomach. Yusuke was set flying as the male Ranma followed. Scrambling to his feet, Yusuke managed to get out of the way of another kick, but Ranma managed to grab his leg and swung him around. Rolling when he landed back where he had begun, Yusuke quickly realized something. This Ranma wouldn't give him time to think, only act. He could deal with that.

The highly one-sided fight continued on in this manner, Yusuke barely getting out of the way of one attack only to get tossed around the clearing or laid flat by the next one. The male Ranma wasn't letting up and, over the long minutes, seemed frustrated that he couldn't find what he was looking for. After about ten minutes of this, Ranma pulled back, staring down at the battered Yusuke.

Yusuke was already forming several bruises and he felt like he had been mugged by every gang he had ever beaten at once. His left wrist felt broken, his right eye was slowly swelling shut, and his right leg quivered every time he put weight on it. And the Male Ranma looked less than impress.

"Bah, and here I thought you could pass the test," he scoffed before turning away, "But you fail to impress. What a weakling."

Something inside of Yusuke snapped at that point as adrenaline dulled the pain and his eyes locked onto the older boy's form. With speed he didn't know he possessed, Yusuke went on the offensive. The older boy dodged each strike easily, making Yusuke angrier, which made him focus on decking the older boy. He focus made him tune out the things that didn't matter, such as the dull throb of his injuries and the taunts thrown at him.

Yusuke kept going though, with only one goal on his mind. And that goal was to place his fist squarely in the middle of Male Ranma's face. The more Male Ranma dodged, the angrier Yusuke got. The Angrier Yusuke got, the faster he moved. Finally Yusuke managed to land a clean punch to the older boy's jaw, causing Male Ranma's head to snap to the side. Yusuke grinned as Male Ranma looked at his extended fist with more than a bit of shock. He had managed to land a hit on THE Ranma Saotome!

Then Ranma disappeared causing the younger boy to gape before Yusuke felt something hammer into his stomach again. Yusuke began to black out from the pain.

As the world faded around him, Ranma reappeared over him, "Good job punk, this has to be the first test you've ever passed."

All Yusuke could do was weakly flip him off before he passed out. Male Ranma could only shake his head and chuckle, "Good luck kid, you're going to need it."

XxXxXxXx

Kuwabara huffed and puffed as he continued his charge, well aware that Kirishima and Sawamura were starting to fall behind. He felt Okubo shift and looked around. He needed to get the cuts Okubo and Kirishima received at least bandaged. Seeing an old warehouse where they would occasionally hang out, He ran to it, kicking the door open as he went.

Setting Okubo down and noticing the boy was starting to wake up, Kuwabara pulled the fat boy's jacket and shirt off of him. Using the ruined shirt to wipe off the blood he noticed something. He couldn't find the cut.

Turning to Kirishima, who was also covered in his own blood, he saw the wide eyed amazement on his face, the cut on his arm gone as well. But before they could even wonder what was going on, the redhead dropped from the ceiling, slashing Sawamura across the chest. As she stood up, Kuwabara's fist impacted with her stomach, throwing her across the warehouse.

XxXxXxXx

Botan squeaked as she glanced around the park she had found herself in. The tree she was hiding behind was a good size, but she still felt on edge. It was almost as if something was…

Botan shrieked as a figure shot out of the branches above her and she felt like she got tackled by a large animal.

"Tag! You're it!" a child's voice called out as Botan opened her eyes.

"Ah but I don't want someone else playing!" another voice whined as Botan eyed the two children. The one that had come out of the trees was a black haired boy of about six wearing a white gi and the other one was a redheaded girl of about the same age wearing a pair of overalls and a long sleeve shirt.

"But it gets boring if its only two people," the boy said, a grumpy look on his face as the girl pouted.

"I guess it's alright then..." the girl groused as she toed the ground. It was at this time Botan regained her ability to talk.

"Why are there two of you?" Botan asked, feeling a little faint.

"Well, it was just me for a really long time," the boy said before he smiled, "Then one day she showed up! She a little weird, being a girl and all, but we like playing the same games and stuff!"

Botan cringed as the boys comment set off the girl and a name calling fight started, "Maybe these two aren't only Ranma's child hood, but the split between what she had been told about gender roles? Her father is cruel enough to have caused such a split, even if only by accident."

As both children began repeating words, mostly ones that were synonymous for 'poo-poo head', Botan clapped her hands, "Alright you two, do you know anything about a test that I'm supposed to take?"

The children suddenly stopped as they remembered.

"Didn't Nee-chan tell us some one was supposed to play with us?" the girl asked as the boy nodded.

"Yep! Nee-chan said that whoever played with us had to win a game of hide and seek. That means…"

"YOU'RE IT!" the two children screamed as they dashed off into the playground.

"And don't forget to count to a hundred!" the girl called back as she stopped briefly, "And close your eyes!"

"Good grief, I choose babysitting duty," Botan groused as she did as she was told, "As if I don't get enough of that with Koenma."

Botan hummed a little tune as she mentally counted to a hundred before looking around. The park was actually pretty small, and she could see the two children attempting to hide in the same place. Sneaking over towards them, Botan heard them whispering.

"Why are we in the same spot?" the boy asked as the girl mumbled.

"Because I think she and her friends can help Nee-chan. If they can help Nee-chan…"

"Nee-chan will be happy." The boy sighed.

"You know Matabi-nee-chan wants to help and Kun-nii does too, even if he doesn't want to take it easy on ghost boy. But I want to help."

"I do too," the boy said before whining, but I want to play too!"

Botan felt slightly sorry for the two of them so she decided to play along, "Hmm, where could those two be?"

The two children froze as they heard her speak from right behind the crawl pipe they were hiding in, hearing her hand tap the side towards the end that the boy as near, "Maybe they're in …HERE! Oh, it's empty."

As Botan watched as the two giggling children ran in opposite directions, she sighed, "Well, this isn't too bad. It's actually kinda fun."

Lucky for her the children knew she was humoring them. She had passed their test, but they still wanted to play.

As the boy looked to the girl, who had rejoined him, he whispered, "We'll tell her after the other one finishes."

The girl only nodded before they scampered away shrieking in delight as Botan pounced over the bushes at them.

XxXxXxXx

Kuwabara considered himself a gentleman, someone who would never hit a girl. But when he saw his friend attacked by what he believed was a sword wielding psycho, he lost it. His first punch had thrown her across the room, where she laid, dazed by the unexpected attack. As he appeared over her, looking to curb stomp her, the dazed look vanished and was replaced with a pleased grin. She rolled away and looked around for her sword, spotting it across the warehouse where she had dropped it when the larger boy had hit her.

Making to go at the sword, Kuwabara tackled her. As they rolled across the floor, Ranma was able to throw him off only to come face to fist with Okubo, who was mostly recovered. It as a solid punch that would have floored almost anyone else, but it merely snapped Ranma's head to the side. Her retaliatory strike to the stomach sent him tumbling backwards. Sawamura and Kirishima charge in at her sides, but the found themselves narrowly avoiding each other as the girl disappeared again.

The ring of metal let them know she had the sword again as Kuwabara yelped in fright. The three boys turned to look as they saw Kuwabara struggling to hold Ranma's arms away from him so she couldn't just drop the sword on him. But then Ranma grinned, and the blade suddenly turned in her hands. Kuwabara howled in pain as the blade pierced his arm.

XxXxXxXx

Atsuko sighed as she followed the path before her to the large traditional home in the distance. She merely strolled forwards, taking in the scenery. She didn't worry about what she would face as it would cause pointless fretting. She could see what she was supposed to face, even at this distance.

The figure wore the traditional samurai armor of her birth clan, the Saotome Clan. Considering that Nodoka had made Genma marry into the family to keep it alive, it made since that her niece knew about the armor. The figure went through the motions of what seemed to be a daily ritual in cleaning the sword in its hands, a sword that bore resemblance to the family honor blade.

She stood at the edge of the small yard were the Samurai was facing outwards. The Samurai did not make any motion to acknowledge her and Atsuko was content to wait. She merely watched, observing the figure. After several minutes the figure stood, sheathing the blade before bowing slightly towards her.

"I thank you for not interrupting me. It shows that you do have some idea about why you are here."

Atsuko nodded, as she cupped her hands and lit her cigarette. The figure struck her as odd, the way it moved, the way it talked, , hell, even the way it sounded made her think that it had no gender. There was no inflection, no body language, or even tone that would lean one way or another.

"The test matters little to me, but I must follow through with the wishes of Ranma," the figure said, moving in front of her, "So here is my test, tell me, what am I?"

Atsuko stared at the figure before sighing, "You really don't care about this test do you? You're an ideal that has become so ingrained within my niece's life that you've become a part of her. You are Ranma's Aspect of Honor."

"You are correct," the figure said as its form began to change. Its armor tarnished before her eyes. It drew the honor sword only for the blade to shatter as it left the sheath, "I am Ranma's Honor. You have passed the required test set before you by Ranma, but I have a request for you. As you can see, this is my truest state of being. Ever since Ranma was betrayed, I have slowly become what you see before her."

"And you want me to set her straight."

"Yes."

"Impossible, Ranma is the only on that can decide what honor means to her." Atsuko said as she turned back down the path, "Besides, I'm the last person you should be asking for help."

"But that is what Ranma must learn. She still subconsciously believes that the definition of honor that was force fed to her during her entire life is what honor means."

Atsuko paused before exhaling a cloud of smoke, "I make no promises, but I'll see what I can do."

"This is all I ask." The figure said as it watched her walk away, "And thank you for hearing me out."

Atsuko sighed as she exited the door she had come through, "It seems like life is going to get more complicated from here on out."

XxXxXxXx

As Kuwabara cradled the stab wound, Ranma seemed to cock her head to the side. Ranma started to chuckle, muttering something about the test being over before turning to the four boys, "It looks like you weren't able to get away after all. All four of you should be experiencing the awakening of your true potential. If you want any more information, asking Urameshi."

Kuwabara gritted his teeth as the girl disappeared. He didn't know why she had attacked them, but if that punk Urameshi knew, he would find out as soon as they found him. The other three seemed to be of the same thought.

XxXxXxXx

Yusuke looked at the redhead as she stared back at him, grinning. He knew she knew what had happened, and she was laughing at him about it.

"Alright, you pass, I give." Ranma said as she held her hands up in surrender. The four of them had woken up in the lobby of the building that Ranma had been staying in, wary of the redheaded girl in front of them. Botan seemed to be shaking as she handcuffed Ranma, but she didn't resist as she was told to hold on and hauled off to the afterlife for her sentencing.

Atsuko watched as she lit her cigarette and sighed, "I'm going for a drink, you're on your own for dinner."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll go over to Keiko's." Yusuke said as he waved her off, "You coming Kurama or do you have something else to do?"

"I could use something to eat," Kurama admitted as he followed Yusuke out. He knew Ranma wasn't going to be gone long, so why did he feel anxious over her absence? It wasn't like Enma could really do anything to her if what Koenma said was correct.

XxXxXxXx

Later That Evening

XxXxXxXx

Ranma didn't put up a fight as she was escorted from her cell by two ogres as she was lead down the hall to Lord Enma's office for her sentencing. She grinned as the doors open, Enma was grimacing. He knew that this was a farce and there was nothing he could really do thanks to the journal.

"Retrieve her possessions and leave them at the door," He said as the ogres bowed and left. Turning to her, Enma growled, "Your punishment, if we can really call it such, is that you are going to be put under house arrest. Like your cohorts, Hiei and Kurama, you will be required to assist the current Spirit Detective, one Yusuke Urameshi, with any case he requests your assistance with."

"So it's everything that we agreed on. Why did you even throw me in a cell? I haven't changed anything." Ranma snarked, if he really wanted to punish her he would have left her in the cell for a while longer.

"It is true that you haven't deviated from the plans you created, but you are only obeying the letter of our agreement, not the spirit." Enma said as Ranma felt something shift in her body. As she panicked, he continued, "Besides, being fourteen again will allow you to be on hand when Mr. Urameshi needs your assistance."

Ranma glared at the deity as he ignored her. Her clothes, which had been merely baggy, were now gigantic on her. She was swimming in the clothes, and Enma seemingly ignored that as he continued, "As for your new identity and where you'll be staying…"

XxXxXxXx

The Next Day

XxXxXxXx

Yusuke yawned as he walked through the door, bored and well rested after a long day of school. Today had been especially aggravating with the teachers giving him weird looks and asking if he knew about any new students were going to be coming soon. He told them he didn't know anything about that and skipped the last period to take a nap. He walked into the apartment, dropping his school bag at the door, and got a glass of water from the kitchen. Hearing the TV going in the living room, he figured his mom was home and tuned around. He ended up spraying his water all over the place when his saw a small red headed girl lounging on the couch next to his mom, glaring at the Sarayashiki Middle Girl's Uniform in her hand.

"What the hell is she doing here?!" Yusuke yelled, not afraid to admit she scare the shit out of him. Her male form pulverized him in that weird test of hers after all.

"I'm under house arrest, and since I'm required to be near you, that bastard Enma stuck me here," Ranma groused.

Noticing something off about her face, Yusuke leaned in close. Ranma growled and waved her smaller fist under his nose, "You try to kiss me and you'll get a beating worse than the last one."

Yusuke blinked, "Holy shit! Did you get younger? Or did you just shrink?"

That set Ranma off as she launched herself at Yusuke. The still younger boy yelped as she put him in a choke hold, "It's that bastard Enma's fault!"

All Atsuko could do was laugh as her son struggled to free himself from his much smaller cousin's grip. At least things would be lively around here and Yusuke had some who could pull his ass out of the fire. Looking over to where Ranma had just suplexed her delinquent son, all she could think of was the reaction of the school when they realized that the newest Urameshi was even worse than the first. The scene got even funnier when some of Yusuke's friends stopped in.

"Hey Urameshi! You said you would explain that weird shit after school, so we need to… WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING HERE?!"

"Oh, it's the Carrot Top and his band of misfit goons."

"Damn it Kuwabara! Stop standing there and help get her off of me!"

Atsuko was positive that she would be in the hospital for bursting a blood vessel later, mainly because she was laughing hard enough to pop a couple at the sight of one tiny girl manhandling five larger boys with ease. Life was going to be more interesting in this household from here on out.

XxXxXxXx

Author's Note: I promised this would be out by the end of the month to a reader, and man I'm cutting it close. Couldn't really write the Atsuko and Botan scenes for the test, spent most of my time beating myself up on them, AND Microsoft Word is the epitome of stupidity when checking verbs tenses because it doesn't know how to read. Hell, having Ranma 'hunt' Kuwabara and his gang was the easiest part of this chapter to write! Pretty much I had everything but those two scenes written by the beginning of the month, but those two scenes refused to be written. I'm still not happy with either of them. Meh, maybe I can't hammer those out like I can a fight scene or odd humor. Anyone else shadow box a scene they're writing? Any ways, might have some other stories to update soon, depends on how life goes, so meh. Please, Read and Review!


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